Empiric Share News (ESP)

March 21 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening up 13points on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers. * CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA: The suspended chief executive of UK-based politicalconsultancy Cambridge Analytica claimed in secretly recorded video that hiscompany played a decisive role in the 2016 election campaign of President DonaldTrump, Channel 4 News reported on Tuesday. * BP: British oil major BP will drill its first deepwater explorationwell at a block it operates in the southern Gulf of Mexico during the thirdquarter of 2020, according to a plan approved Tuesday by Mexican oil regulatorCNH. * INFLATION: British inflation was weaker than expected in February as theimpact of the 2016 Brexit vote faded, easing some of the squeeze on households'spending power but doing little to change bets on a Bank of England rate rise inMay. * OIL: Oil prices rose on Wednesday, lifted by tensions in the Middle Eastand healthy demand, although rising U.S. output continued to weigh on markets. * GOLD: Gold prices rose on Wednesday as the dollar fell as investors awaitthe outcome of the U.S. Federal Reserve's meeting this week for signs of thepace of monetary tightening, which could limit the demand for bullion goingforward. * The UK blue chip index closed 0.3 percent higher at 7,061.27 on Tuesday,with banks leading the way after data showed a small slowdown in inflation,while Fenner shares surged after a takeover offer from tyre maker Michelin. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets * UK CORPORATE DIARY: Empiric Student Property Plc Full Year 2017 Earnings Release Kingfisher Plc Full Year 2017 Earnings Release TODAY'S UK PAPERS > Financial Times > Other business headlines Multimedia versions of Reuters Top News are now available for: * 3000 Xtra : visit http://topnews.session.rservices.com * For Top News : http://topnews.reuters.com (Reporting by Radhika Rukmangadhan in Bengaluru)